Making the mental health of Australia's youth a priority

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Research uncovers new ways to encourage young Australians to seek help for mental health problems

While research shows that one in five Au stralians experience a mental health problem some time in their lives, the statistic for young Au stralians is worse – one in four. Yet despite having the greatest need for help, data shows that young people are the least likely to seek it.

University of Canberra psychology researcher Professor Debra Rickwood aims to find new ways to encourage young people to get the help they need. "My aim is to understand the processes that affect seeking help and to support early intervention for youth mental health problems," Professor Rickwood says.

Her findings indicate that young people prefer to seek help from their family and friends rather than professionals.

"The main barriers to professional helpseeking are that young people dont recognise symptoms of mental illness as something that needs professional attention. They think they should be able to deal with symptoms themselves, that professional care won't help and they worry about the stigma associated with mental illness."

As part of her work, Professor Rickwood is closely involved with the national headspace initiative, which is setting up early intervention mental health services for young people across Australia. A data pool has been created to enable the establishment of better services in the future and to ensure that the needs of young people are being met at headspace centres.

Professor Rickwood is currently researching other ways to engage young people in interventions to improve their mental health, with online environments and new technologies her focus for the future. Like all research at the University, her work is centred on real-world outcomes. The research environment at the University of Canberra supports a strong research/practice nexus," she says. "Combining theory and practical application is vital for success."

"My aim is to support early intervention for youth mental health problems"